Adjustable chin rest for wind instrument



1956 H. A. DE MlRE ADJUSTABLE .CHIN RE'ST FOR WIND INSTRUMENT Filed Dec. 2, 1955 INVEN TOR. ,4. De'MIkE United States Patent ADJUSTABLE CHIN REST FOR WIND INSTRUMENT Haig A. DeMire, Detroit, Mich, Application December 2, 1955, Serial No. 550,522 3 Claims. (Cl. '84-398) This invention relates to an adjustable chin rest for wind musical instruments.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a chin rest mechanism adjustably mountable upon the mouthpiece of a musical instrument and cooperably engageable with the chin of the user to prevent accidental inward projection of the mouthpiece against the users teeth or into his mouth.

It is the further object of the present invention to provide a novel and simplified mounting bracket adapted for resilient connection with the mouthpiece of a wind instrument and including an angularly adjustable chin rest, togather with mechanism for elfecting relative longitudinal adjustment of the chin rest with respect to the mouthniece.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating the mounting of the present adjustable chin rest upon the mouthpiece of a wind musical instrument, which instrument is fragmentarily shown, and also illustrating in phantom lines the relative positioning of the parts with respect to the users face.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1'.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the resilient coiled member for interconnecting the mouthpiece and the chin rest element.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the chin rest element; and

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

It will be understood that the above drawing illustrates merely a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims set forth.

Referring to the drawing in Fig. 1, there is fragmentarily shown the end portion of a wind musical instrument as at 11 with aperture 12 adapted to receive the tapered hollow tubular shank 13 of a conventional mouthpiece 14.

A resilient connector generally indicated at 15 is mounted upon the tapered shank of said mouthpiece, as shown in Fig. l, and at its lower end is adjustably connected to an adjustable chin engaging element generally indicated at 20.

Support element 15 includes a resilient coil 19 consisting of a series of turns which are spaced apart and which are adapted to be wound tightly around so as to frictionally engage shank 13 of the said mouthpiece.

The ends of the said coil terminate in a pair of downwardly depending elongated support straps 16 and 17, which make up the support element 15. Said straps extend generally in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the coil.

The free ends of straps 16 and 17 terminate in the loops 18, Fig. 3, which loops are adapted for positioning upon opposite sides of the arm 24 adjacent the elongated slot 25 formed therein towards one end thereof.

The opposite end of said arm terminates in the right angularly related formed boss 21 which has formed in its outer surface the concave portion 22 adapted to receive Patented Aug. 14, 1956 the resilient preferably rubber chin engaging member 23, which may be secured therein adhesively or otherwise.

The arm 24 which forms a part of the support element 20 and which includes the slot 25, receives adjustably on oposite sides thereof the loops 18 at the lower ends of the straps 16 and 17.

The transverse bolt 26 with head 27 extends through the said loops 18 and through the slot 25 :of arm 24 and is adjustably secured in position by the wing nut 28.

In the present embodiment of the invention the rubber cushion 23 is substantially in vertical registry with the end of mouthpiece 14. However, the slot 25 formed Within arm 24 provides for relative longitudinal adjustment of said arm with respect to the mouthpiece upon loosening of the wing nut 28 to fit the contour of the particular user.

The wing nut 28 in conjunction with belt 26-27 also provides upon loosening for relative angular adjustment of arm 24 with respect to the straps 16 and 17 or the mouthpiece 13-14. Accordingly, this relation between the arm and mouthpiece may be adjusted as desired, depending upon the size and contour of the users face.

The turns 19 which form a portion of a coiled spring are adapted to operatively and frictionally engage tightly the tapered shank 13 of said mouthpiece. However, in order to loosen the said coil, it is merely necessary to manually project the turns thereof towards each other, as shown by the arrows which has the effect of slightly increasing the diameter of the said turns.

Additionally, the said coil may be loosened with respect to the shank 13 by loosening the Wing nut 23, as this also permits a certain amount of outward lateral adjustment of the lower ends of the straps 16 and 17 which also has the effect of slightly increasing the diameter of the coils 19.

Accordingly, there is provided in the present invention a very simplified adjustable chin rest for a wind instrument which will be inexpensive to manufacture in view of its simplicity and which will be readily adjustable as desired.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the claims which follow for determining the scope thereof.

I claim:

1. A chin rest for a wind instrument having a mouthpiece with a tapered tubular shank comprising a normally expanded resilient coil adapted to be wound tightly around and frictionally engaging said shank with the turns of said coil spaced apart, a pair of elongated support straps depending from the ends of said coil at substantially right angles to the coil axis, mounting loops at the free ends of said straps, an elongated horizontally disposed arm below said shank in parallel spaced relation thereto, an enlarged transverse boss at one end of the arm in substantial vertical registry with said mouthpiece adapted to operatively engage the users chin, there being an elongated slot formed in said arm adjacent its opposite end, said loops being positioned against opposite sides of said arm in registry with said slot, and a bolt with wing nut extending transversely through said loops and slot, for tightly securing said straps to said arm in adjusted relation.

2. The chin rest of claim 1, and a rubber cushion secured within said boss.

3. The chin rest of claim 1, manually moving the turns of said coil toward each other longitudinally being adapted to increase their diameter for releasing said shank for relative movement, loosening said wing nut also being adapted to permit a resilient increase in the diameter of said turns and permit relative angular adjustment of said arm.

No references cited. 

